The Golden Butterfly
by Manda Falcon
Summary: Harry's blocked off from the world, stuck watching Dudley's tap dancing lessons, when he finds that Hermione's parents never showed to pick her up, and strange things have been happening since the end of school. Summer after fifth year. A bit of HR later


Authors Note: This started as a short story, but now it....isn't? It's still one of my first fan fictions, and anything you think that could help would be welcomed.  
  
Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to Warner Bros, Scholastic, Bloomsbury, Heyday/1498 films, JK Rowling and Raincoat books. I don't lay any claim to it. Anything that I used that is not in the Harry Potter books is mine, and does not belong to JK Rowling...I think...  
  
Tap Dancing and Letters  
  
Harry sat slouched in a chair at the edge of the dance studio. Dudley was taking tap dancing lessons, by the wishes of his mother, or more important to him: being bribed by his father. Petunia just loved tap dancing, and what more could she hope for but having her little Duddikins tap dancing just for her.  
When Harry had returned from Hogwarts, he had noticed that Dudley had lost weight, and could finally fit into his uniform, surprisingly enough. The three weeks of tap dancing for four hours a day had helped too, though Harry still had to survive on miniscule amounts of food. This year he had stuffed as much food into his trunk before he left Hogwarts as he could, but four weeks into break, his supply was already diminishing.  
Petunia stood towards the front of the studio, watching the instructor demonstrate to Dudley what to do. His blank face showed no understanding or enthusiasm, but Petunia showed enough for the both of them. Harry watched her for a few minutes, making sure that she wasn't going to look back at him, then pulled out a book he had.  
The Beginners Guide to Flobberworms by Silvia Wolbdor was a book that Hagrid had given him back in his third year. It was extremely boring, but Harry ran out of books after the first twenty lessons he'd had to sit through. Petunia was certain to bring Harry with him wherever she went, because of the threat of something happening to her.  
Harry thought she was being overprotective, especially for the amount that she hated him. He'd tried to convince her all summer it would really be better off for her to let him go stay with some of his friends, but both Dumbledore and Petunia refused.  
Harry had decided that he needed to write Hermione and ask her if she could send him any books. He had never thought he would do such a thing as wanting to read more, but there was nothing else he could do over the summer, and he hadn't received his OWL results yet.  
He looked up towards the clock on the wall and closed his book. Dudley's lesson should end in about ten minutes, and Harry decided he would go wait outside in the sun.  
He leaned up against the hot stone wall of the building labelled "Darleen's Dance Academy" in big purple letters, with a smaller "For all ages and skills" then a phone number.  
As Harry was looking at the cars passing on the street, her heard his name called. Dean was walking down the sidewalk with a girl, holding her hand.  
"Harry!" Dean called again, leading his girlfriend towards Harry, "This is Jane, she's my neighbour." He kissed her gently on the cheek.  
"Hello Dean, Jane." Harry says to both of them.  
"I'm going shopping with Jane," Dean say's to Harry, "We're going to get shampoo, but for the life of me I hope its not like Snape's stuff, that stuff scares me, it really does, I have nightmares about it."  
Harry bites his lip, trying not to laugh after he realized Dean was being completely serious about the shampoo. Jane smiled, and started speaking to Harry, "Would you like to see what we have already bought?" she asks kindly.  
Harry pauses for a second, then replies, "Sure, why not."  
Jane lets go of Dean's hand and starts pulling stuff out of the bag that was gripped tightly in her right hand. "Well, this is a lava lamp for my sister, her birthday's tomorrow and she's turning seven. She's so adorable, and loved mine so much, and Deany here says he thinks my Sarah will like it too. Oh, Sarah's my sister, and she always try's to be just like me." Harry just nodded as Jane pulled out a box with a picture of a purple and pink lava lamp on it, and then saw her reach down to pick something else out, "And these are socks for my neighbour's great, great, great grandfather.  
" He's this really, really old guy with a long silver beard who always visits the house next door. His name is Mr. Dumbledore, it sounds kind of odd, doesn't it?" Harry glanced over at Dean when she said this, and he nodded slightly, "Look, they're hand knit! Aren't they beautiful? And the old guy, wow, he's so old I don't know how he's lived so long. Like, maybe its magic or something, but he's always really nice, and I thought since he said last time he visited that tomorrow would be the last time in a long time, that I'd get him socks for Christmas and give them to him then!"  
Harry cut off Jane, "I'm really sorry, but I have to go now, my cousin's lessons should be getting over about now, and if I don't go back in they'll worry about me. You two have a fun day shopping," he walked back into the Dance Academy to see the dancing instructor let Dudley off to the changing rooms in the back.  
Many young girls, no older then five, were already sitting against the wall to wait for their ballet lessons to start. Petunia waited until Dudley came out of the changing room, back in his normal clothes, then led him towards the door opposite the one Harry left earlier, and left expecting Harry to follow.  
They all drove home, and spilt up once they got there. Dudley finding even more money sitting on top of his pillow for tap dancing, Petunia sitting down to watch her favourite soap opera, and Harry going off to his room to find three letters sitting upon his bed.  
He saw that the first one was from Ron and tore it open.  
  
Dear Harry,  
I'm sorry you haven't been able to come visit this summer, but Dad says Dumbledore will let you soon, but there was some crisis or something like that earlier that they're keeping secret so you couldn't come, but you might get to soon.  
Did you get your OWL results yet? Mum's really happy with mine, I got four O's. Hermione's here too, she got all O's, of course, except for Astronomy, where they're letting everyone do it again, she's still so disappointed about that though.  
She's staying her, I think I forgot to tell you that. And Dobby came to visit us earlier in the summer, because Fred and George's shop has been a great success. Dobby was wearing his lucky tea-cosy, he claimed it was for special occasions, but he can be weird at times. Fred and George are trying to get a larger location for their shop, they've had so many orders that they've taken on four new employee's.  
They bought each person in the family a gift with the money, I have to show you my new broomstick! It's a Firebolt Harry! They also got you, and Hermione, and a lot of their friends stuff too, George say's he would have sent you what he gave you, but he thought you'd be coming her soon, so he didn't, and he won't tell anyone what it is.  
Maybe they stole Trelawney's first crystal ball from her to give it to you, seeing as she won't need it any more, it might automatically predict your death, then you won't have to worry about her's.  
Hermione said to say hello, even though she's having me send a letter from her too anyways, I think she's sending you a book too, but I don't know why, its summer! Hope Dumbledore say's its fine for you to come soon!  
Ron  
  
Harry quickly picked up the other two letters on the bed, underneath them was a package. Sure enough, one of the letters was from Hermione, the other must have his OWL results in it. He set the one that would have his OWL results in it aside, and picked up Hermione's, glancing at the package. He opened up her letter and read,  
  
Dear Harry,  
I hope you are doing well so far this summer. I sent you a book that might help you, it has a lot of Defence information in it, and I thought you might want to read it.  
I'm staying at Ron's house because my parents are off in Africa for some reason. They apparently contacted Ron's family before they left, and asked them if I could stay with them, so I've been at Ron's since the beginning of break. They did leave me this beautiful gold butterfly for my hair, and I think there are some spells on it, because when I use it my hair's much less frizzy.  
I got my OWL results. I'm very disappointed, I got all O's except for in Astronomy. I know they say we will all get a chance to take it again because of disturbances, but tis still disappointing. I was almost done with it too, and was only missing a little bit. I got an E on it, but that's still not an O.  
Ron said his father talked to Dumbledore, and said you might be able to visit soon. I've been reading some of the stuff that Dumbledore is sending me about how things are going, and it seems that there was a crisis right at the beginning of break, and they are keeping it secret. But, he also said that things were getting much better, and he's been meeting with a family near where Dean lives, and is meeting them one last time tomorrow.  
They've also caught a few more Death Eaters, and have given up on Azkaban. There is a makeshift prison in an undisclosed location, but we seem to be doing rather well overall.  
Ron's family and I both hope you can come here soon Harry. We all miss you, especially Ron and me.  
Hermione  
  
PS Oh, I forgot to tell you, Ron and I are going out now. I thought you ought to know.  
  
Harry set the letter down and pushed his OWL letter off to the side. He opened the package that Hermione had sent, looking at the leather bound cover, and setting it on the floor. He placed Ron and Hermione's letters under his pillow, then stood up to go downstairs by the call of Petunia's voice for Dinner. 


End file.
